Bobby-pin receptacle and opener



March 19, 1957 H. A. RICHARDSON 2,785,687 I BOBBY-PIN RECEPTACLE ANDOPENER Filed April 27, 1954 25 26 Z9 32 Fig. 3 Mg. 4

W 7 x f) w jfi-n 36 37 Fig 5 4 36 Hazel A. Richardson IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNE Y United tates atent BOBBY-PIN RECEPTACLE AND OPENER Hazel A.Richardson, Denton, Tex.

Application April 27, 1954, Serial No. 425,308

1 Claim. (Cl. 132-1) This invention relates to a receptacle and moreparticularly to a receptacle having a pin opener.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved receptaclehaving a new and improved means for opening or spreading bobby pins.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for opening orspreading pins which is of simple and economical construction.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedmeans for opening or spreading pins which permits easy single handedmanipulation and opening of the pins leaving the other hand free toperform other operations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a receptacle, having apin opener, which is of a single piece construction and having no nooksor crevices wherein pins may become lodged.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be readilyapparent from the reading of the follo ing description of deviceconstructed in accordance with the invention and reference to theaccompanying drawings thereof, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a receptacle or tray having a pinopener in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the receptacle shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a modified form of the receptacle;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of another modified form of the receptacle;and,

Figure 5 is a sectional view of still another modified form of thereceptacle.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, the pinreceptacle or tray includes a bottom 11 which may be provided withcountersink screw holes 12 through which fiat head screws may beinserted to secure the tray rigidly to the bottom of a dresser drawer, adressing table or the like. Two side walls 13 and 14 and a rear wall 15rise vertically from the bottom and are integral therewith. The sidewalls and the rear wall are thin and serve no other purpose than todefine three sides of the pin receiving recess 16 of the tray.

An opener wall 17 defines the fourth side of the recess 16 and alsorises upwardly from the bottom 11 of the tray. The opener wall isrelatively thick or wide and has an inner surface 18 which extendsupwardly and inwardly from the bottom to a common edge 19 with adownwardly and inwardly inclined upper surface 26. It will be apparentthat the upper and inner surfaces 18 and 20 extend frontwardly at anacute angle from each other to form a wedge which is used to open bobbypins. Furthermore, it is preferable that the inner surface be inclinedat an angle of degrees or more from the bottom and that the uppersurface 20 be inclined at an angle of less than 30 degrees from thehorizontal, to provide the acute angle at the edge 19. The walls arepreferably integral with the bottom in order that no crevices or nooksmay occur between the walls and the bottom in which pins could becomelodged.

In use, the bobby pin tray is secured to the bottom of a drawer of adressing table or the like by means of the flat head screws 21. The trayshould be fixed within comfortable reach of the user about five or sixinches from the front of the drawer and near the side of the drawerwhich is closer to the user. For a right handed user the drawer shouldpreferably be to the right of the user. In this position the front ofthe open drawer does not interfere with the forearm and wrist movementsof the right arm of the user and pins disposed in the tray may be pulledup without lifting the elbow sideward from the body or bending the handand the wrist to reach the pins, such movements being awkward andtiring.

The bobby pins 22 are placed in the recess 16 of the tray with the freeends 23 and 24 thereof facing the opener wall 17. When it is desired touse a hobby pin, it is picked up from the tray between the thumb and thefirst three fingers of the right hand with the shorter or hooked end orprong 23 of the pin facing up. The forefinger is then slid toward theends 23 and 24 of the pin to guide the placement of the pin. The forearmis then rested against the front of the drawer.

The lower longer prong 24 of the pin is slipped into engagement withtheinner surface 18 of the opener wall of the tray while the uppershorter prong 23 contacts the upper surface 21'! of the opener wall. Thehand is then pivoted upwardly at the wrist to cause the prongs of thepin to slide over the surfaces 18 and 20 or the opener wall and separatefrom each other. The fleshy end of the forefinger then slips between theopen prongs to hold the prongs in open position as the pin is lifte fromengagement with these surfaces to be slipped over a tress of hair heldby the left hand. It will be noted that the degree to which the prongs23 and 24 of the pin are opened is governed by the degree of pushing ofthe prongs against the surfaces 18 and 20 of the opener wall, themaximum opening occurring when the lower longer prong touches the bottom11 of the tray.

It will be apparent now that a receptacle or tray 10 for hair or hobbypins has been provided which includes a bottom 11 and Walls 13, 14, 15and 17 integral therewith, the opener wall 17 having an upwardly andinwardly inclined surface 18 and a downwardly and inwardly inclinedupper surface 20 which converge at an acute angle to a common edge 19 toform a wedge for opening the pins. It will also be apparent that theprovision of the opener wall 17 with an upper surface which is inclineddownwardly toward the edge 19 provides a greater angle between thesurfaces 18 and 2t) and this permits the pin prongs to be separated tothe maximum degree upon a relatively small movement of the prongs 23 and24 of the pin over the wedge formed by the surfaces of the opener wall,and also causes both the prongs to spread or open simultaneously as thepin is pushed onto the wedge surfaces.

In Figure 3 is illustrated a modified form of a tray 25 having a bottom26 which is not provided with holes, such as the holes 12 of the tray 10of Figures 1 and 2 and whose opener wall 27 is of lesser thickness thanthe opener wall 17 of the tray 19. The tray 25 may be secured to adresser drawer or to a glass dresser top by a suitable adhesive on theunder side of the bottom 25 of the tray.

Figure 4 illustrates another modified form of the tray 28 having abottom 29, an end wall 30, side walls 31 (only one of which is shown inFigure 4) and an opener wall 32. The upper surface 33 of the opener wallis inclined downwardly and outwardly to the common edge 3 34 with the pardly and cnt a d y inclined cute su face 35 of the opener wall. It isapparent that the surfaces 33 and 35' form a wedge for opening theprongs b bo by pi s i a man er s m lar tolth escr be above in n t onwith th t ay 9 of Fi u s 1 ans-1.2-

Figure 5 illustrates still another form of the tray which has a bottom37 provided With apertures through which screws may extend to fasten thetray a fixed structure. Vertical side walls 39, only one which is shownin Figure 5, and rear and front end walls 40 and 41 extend upwardly fromthe bottom. The tray is divided into two pin receiving compartments .42and 43 by a partition 44 which extends transversely between the sidewalls 59.

The partition has two upper snraces 45 and 4:6. The pp r surface 4 etend do nwa dly an r arw rd) to a common wedge edge 47 with therearwardly and upwardly inclined side surface 48 of the partition.Similarly, the upper surface 46 extends downwardly and forwardly to acommon Wedge edge 49 with the frontwardly and forwardly inclined sidesurface 54 of the partition.

It will be apparent that the surfaces 45 and 48 and the surfaces 46 and5t; form wedges for opening the prongs of bobby pins in a manner similarto that described in connection with the traylt of Figures 1 and 2.

It will now be seen that the various forms of the tray may be made ofplastic, glass or other substance and that they are preferably made in asingle integral piece in order to'avoid any crevices or nooks betweenthe walls and bottoms of the trays in which pins may lodge. It will alsobe apparent that the upper surfaces of the wedges provide an area onwhich ornamental or adcr isin ma er may be painted, inscribed orotherwis secured. V

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory only, andchanges in the details of the construction illustrated may be made bythose skilled in the art, within the scope of the appended claim,without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letter Patent is: I

A device of the type described including: a tray having a bottom, threevertical walls extending upwardly from the bottom, and a fourth wallhaving an upwardly and inwardly inclined inner side surface and anupwardly and outwardly inclined upper surface, said surfaces of saidfourth wall having a common edge and forming a wedge extending laterallyinwardly over and spaced,

above the bottom of said tray, said inner side surface extending at anacute angle to the upper surface from said common edge and at an acuteangle and spaced above the bottom of said tray.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

